The Department of Mechanical and Marine Engineering at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences HVL, Campus Bergen, has a vacancy for a research fellow (PhD position) related to artificial intelligence and the analysis of crane induced ship motion, for a period of 4 years.

The PhD research fellow will be part of the PhD programme in Computer Science: Software Engineering, Sensor Networks and Engineering Computing (http://ict.hvl.no). The research programme in computer science currently includes 20 professors and associate professors, 25 PhD and post-doctoral research fellows, and a large number of master’s students.

The project aims to develop a theoretical, numerical and physical model of ship rotation (pitch, yaw, roll) and translation (pitch, heave, sway) induced by on-board crane motion, yet stabilized by inertial devices, in turn moderated by artificial intelligence software.

Part of the project will involve implementation of the physics models using a client/server software architecture. This includes the development of an algorithm to access a database of wave conditions to predict risk of unloading from a ship onto a floating rig in rough seas. 

The project will also involve the creation of a physical model for validation and testing in the HVL wave tank, and an implementation of the work for presentation using 3D web pages. 

Research environment

The computer science research environment at HVL (http://ict.hvl.no) has a strong focus on use-inspired and applied research, and on ICT as an enabling technology. The research environment has cooperation with many national and international research groups, and with national and regional industry partners. The programme includes the research themes of software engineering, engineering computing, communication systems and sensor networks, grid computing and physics data analysis, machine learning, and interactive and collaborative systems. The prospective PhD candidate will work in the intersection of the research group in engineering computing and the research undertaken in computational and applied mechanics.

Homepage http://ict.hvl.no/ 

The PhD research fellow must have a master's degree in mechanical engineering with a strong emphasis on computing, in applied mathematics, in computer science, or in a closely related field. Candidates who have submitted a master’s thesis (but who have not yet been awarded a master’s degree) may also qualify for the position provided that the master`s degree is awarded within 4 weeks after the application deadline.

The successful candidate should have a thorough understanding of both computational and applied mechanics and must have demonstrated that he/she master the moving frame method. As the project entails the construction of a boat model with a remotely operated crane and inertial stabilizers, the candidate should have solid practical background (preferably a certificate of apprenticeship) that covers hydraulics, electronics and mechanical construction. The following aspect will be considered an advantage when candidates are evaluated:  co-authoring of research papers, experience in programming using C, Matlab, HTML5, and CSS. 

In addition to the required educational background, the following criteria will be evaluated: competence and grades on completed course work, quality of the master’s thesis (excellent grade, equivalent of grade B or better on the ECTS grading system), quality of publications, research and teaching experience, practical software engineering skills and experience. A possible outline of a research plan for a potential PhD project will also be taken into account.

The candidate must be diligent and display the ability to work independently, supplemented with regular guidance, and is expected to carry out high-quality research and to publish the results in international workshops, conferences, and journals.

The PhD research fellow must enroll in the PhD program in Computer Science: Software Engineering, Sensor Networks and Engineering Computing at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and must meet the formal admission requirements for admission into the PhD program. 25% of the 4-year period will be designated to duties such as teaching, development and administrative tasks. The employment period may be reduced if the successful applicant has held previous employment as a research fellow.

The PhD candidate will be assigned two academic supervisor(s) at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. An application for enrollment should first be submitted after an appointment is made and the supervisor(s) will help with this procedure. The candidate must be enrolled as a PhD student within 3 months from the start of the employment.